Background check question

[Apallo]

I'm not really sure if this belongs here, but this seemed the best place. The company i am working for just got a new client, and that client (a large bank) is requiring background checks on all of the techs as part of the deal. This bank is the one doing the checks, not my company. My company did this without my prior knowledge or consent, which irks me slightly. Is my company allowed to do this? I don't like the idea that they could do this whenever they feel like without my consent.

edit: misspelled title (durrr me am smrat)

[Apallo]

Thanks for your response. As far as i know, there's nothing in the paperwork that i signed when i started working here that mentions this. Also, if i were to express my unease with the situation, i would just be laughed at or punished somehow, or possibly fired. Blargh, i need to get a new job.

[Arm]

Depending on the background check, they may just be looking at publicly available records. If you're a felon or whatever, I'm pretty sure that's recorded somewhere freely accessible.

Just remember, it's not a real (significant) background check until they ask your neighbors if you've ever been a communist.

[Gurndigarn]

I'm not really sure if this belongs here, but this seemed the best place. The company i am working for just got a new client, and that client (a large bank) is requiring background checks on all of the techs as part of the deal. This bank is the one doing the checks, not my company. My company did this without my prior knowledge or consent, which irks me slightly. Is my company allowed to do this? I don't like the idea that they could do this whenever they feel like without my consent.

Depends on local laws. By and large, though, they can do a public records check without much problem.

[JustADude]

As others have said, if they're just doing a public records check (likely for fraud convictions, etc) then they wouldn't need your permission, as that's the whole point of it being a "public" record.

A full, detailed background check, though... I'm pretty sure you'd have solid grounds for a lawsuit even if nothing bad comes from it. (of course IANAL)

[Yfandes]

Having just been through two background checks for federal agencies if they didn't have you fill out pages and pages of information (past addresses, parents names, aliases, schools, non-relatives they can contact blah blah blah blah) then its probably a public records check.

[Madhatter_67_85]

Being that the client is a bank, they are probably checking credit records to see who is bondable and not bondable.
They just making sure no one is in serious enough financial trouble (i.e. bankruptcy) to have "sticky" fingers or do something to relieve the bank customers of some of their assets.